Cherniy Hleb (Russian Black Bread) Recipe

Rye bread, called black bread (черный хлеб, pronounced CHOR-nee khlebf) in Russian, enjoys particular favor in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe due to rye's ability to thrive in higher latitudes.
Two common types of Russian black bread are Borodinsky bread, which is baked in a loaf pan, and Darnitsky bread, which this recipe approximates.

Bread Baked In A Bread Cloche

If you've ever made bread from scratch, found a technique and a recipe you like, and then practiced it a lot, you probably can make a pretty great loaf of bread. But people who make bread at home often complain that it just doesn't quite approximate the bread they have from a French bakery, which is somehow lighter inside and crispier outside. You've worked so hard, you want a deep brown crust that shatters when you hit it, right? The missing piece is a level of heat and steam that is almost impossible to generate in a conventional home oven.
A bread cloche recreates the same conditions that you find in a traditional bread oven so you can actually bake a delicious, crusty loaf that is light and airy inside. I took one for a spin this week and I can tell you it works.